


An Ode to Goldfish

by twinkrevali



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aquaphobia warning just in case yo, Aquariums, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, asexual!kenma, because I need ace kenma in my life okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 12:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4060594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinkrevali/pseuds/twinkrevali
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You just moved in next door and won't stop singing about your fish at 3am in the morning could you please be quiet some of us need sleep??? au</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Ode to Goldfish

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Kuroken omggg I'm so scared. It's surprisingly kinda hard to write, which was terrifying, but a welcome challenge >:)
> 
> This au is literally based off my own life okay I sing to my dog all the time when no one is home and I always wonder whether my neighbours can hear me belting out improv about my old fart of a dog so it got me thinking haaaa
> 
> Let me know what you think, otherwise enjoy!

The first time Kenma hears him, it's twelve pm and the guy who's taken over the lease for the apartment next to his is moving in. It's been a fairly quiet task so far, apart from the odd burst of laughter and excited chatter drifting through from the other side of the paper thin walls separating the two flats, so Kenma makes himself another cup of tea and goes back to the open game of Splatoon waiting for him on the television in his lounge.

He's about to sit down and settle in for another round when the loudest yell he's ever heard makes him jump so violently the scalding liquid resting in his mug jumps out and burns his knuckles.

"Fuck," Kenma hisses as the mug falls out of his hands and smashes halfway across the room, splatters of tea spraying the front of his already tattered couch and seeping into the nooks between the old hardwood flooring.

As he stares at the mess before him, a noise his brain distantly registers to be singing seems to drift through the walls and into his ears, causing him to slowly turn away from the tea, which is now gradually but surely staining his couch, to the wall through which the noise is coming from. 

"Ooh, Jerry, you are the best fish in the wooorld," comes the warbling tune, slightly muffled by the plaster separating it's source from Kenma, who stares blankly for a moment, before the word 'fish' registers and he realises that his new neighbor is, in fact, singing to his fucking fish. Bringing a hand to his face, Kenma closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling hard before shuffling to the kitchen to find a towel. As he picks up the fragments of ceramic scattered around his living room, mopping up the sticky mess that is half-dried tea on wood floors, he listens as the voice through the wall continues to garble out what sounds like an ode to a goldfish named Jerry.

_Just my luck_ , he thinks to himself.

***

"Shiroooo, with your beautiful floating fins; Shiro my love, you are so cute. If I was a fish all I'd wanna do is marry you."

_That doesn't even make any sense_ Kenma mentally notes as he tries to shove the muffled improv into the furthest corners of his brain. It's been a week so far and at twelve pm on the dot the noise starts, sometimes with a sudden shout that makes Kenma drop whatever he's holding. The second time after the tea incident, a shout alarmed Kenma so much he dropped his Wii remote, the hollow 'thunk' of it hitting the floor enough to make the voice stop for a minute. It didn't take long for it to start up again, though; this time in a crescendo of wails that Kenma guessed were meant to be some kind of Mariah Carey impression, but sounded more like a cat being strangled.

"It's never ending, Shōyō; he literally does not shut up, and always about different fish as well. It'd be endearing if it hadn't cost me half my glassware already." Kenma says in an exasperated tone, and Hinata laughs through the phone.

"Can't you just go over and ask him to stop singing? Besides, it's only been a week; maybe he's just excited to be living in a new place! Plus goldfish are pretty cool y'know; they grow into their bowls so it's like, whatever size bowl you give them determines their size! I remember this one time I was at a pet shop and there was this massive tank and--"

"Hinata." Kenma cuts off his excitable friend, who mutters an apology. "I mean it's not like he's a particularly bad singer," Kenma continues warily, "He is just so loud, and all because of some fish. I don't understand."

"I still think you should just talk to him." Hinata urges, and Kenma sighs before mumbling something along the lines of "you're probably right," discomfort laced through his words.

They drift into conversation about the release date of a new game after that, eventually ending the call. Hinata's advice still rings through Kenma's head as he goes about tidying the small apartment. He _could_ just knock on the door and ask the guy to shut up, but if he's being brutally honest, he figures the singing hasn't _really_ been bothering him, it's just the sudden bursts of sound that freak him out. He decides to wait a little longer and see how much longer the singing continues; otherwise he'll ask the guy to stop. Maybe.

With an affirmative nod, he pulls an oven bake apple pie out of the freezer and sets the oven to preheat, peeling the pastry out of it's cardboard packaging and licking sugary residue off his fingers as he thinks.

***

"Honestly it's a surprise your neighbor hasn't placed a noise complaint yet, if what you're telling me is true,"

Bokuto cackles from the kitchen, watching Kuroo as he taps fish food pellets into the aquarium. Two calico telescope fish, one white veiltail and a black moor stare up at him with gaping mouths. Kuroo's eyes soften.

"I'm pretty sure they've dropped like, three glasses because of me," he says offhandedly, and Bokuto squawks, looking up at Kuroo in alarm.

"Three?" he exclaims, "Are you sure you haven't given them a heart attack either?"

Kuroo scoffs at that, and then pauses, concern etching it's way across his usually composed features. "Can that happen?" He hums into the aquarium for a moment before huffing out a laugh and shrugging, placing the fish food on a shelf by the tank. "They can't have had a heart attack," He turns to Bokuto with a crooked smile, "No one over fifty lives in this building." Bokuto stares at him blankly for a moment before snorting so loudly Kuroo is worried for a moment he's going to cough up a hairball.

"You know people can get heart attacks from shock you fucking dumbass," He hoots, and Kuroo huffs, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the counter. "Well," he muses, "They haven't come breaking down my door with a noise complaint yet so. I guess it's alright." Bokuto watches him for a moment before his face splits into a wide grin.

"Have you succumbed to your late night sonata's yet?"

Kuroo glares at him before glancing away, guilt manipulating his face into a frown again. "I'm only ever up till like, five am anyway... " He mutters, before adding a disgruntled "I haven't, by the way." Much to his relief, Bokuto doesn't say anything. Kuroo's always had weird sleeping habits; Bokuto knows this. After the first three times Kuroo called him at ass o'clock in the morning asking if he wanted to go out for pancakes the grey haired man stopped questioning it. That doesn't stop Kuroo feeling a little bit bad for it, despite being told time and time again it's fine, it's not like Bokuto is much better anyway; 'It's written in the name, bro'.

"I'm just saying man, you might be able to sing to your hearts content at five am when you're with me, but how do you think your neighbor is gonna cope? Maybe next time they'll break their leg when they fall out of bed from shock instead?" Bokuto is wearing his best shit-eating grin now, and Kuroo groans, covering his eyes with a hand. "When they complain, then I will think about stopping."

"Maybe you should just send over some ear pl--" Bokuto deftly dodges the magazine that flies towards his face, howling from laughter as Kuroo's nostrils flare.

***

It is 3am and Kenma is lying on his bedroom floor thinking back to all the American crime shows he's watched in an attempt to figure out a way to pull off a murder without getting caught.

It started like this: Kenma went to be at 2am after consecutively losing two Grand Prixes on Mario Kart. He played LoveLive in bed for a bit before feeling himself drifting off. That's when it happened.

His neighbour apparently decided that 2am is the perfect time to start _belting out a power ballad_ about those goddamn _fucking_ fish he seems so enamored by. As a result, Kenma rolled out of bed so fast he all but flew off the mattress and landed ass first on his bedroom floor.

So here he is, half an hour later, contemplating whether he could break through the wall and throttle his neighbour _and then_ feed the body to the fish he has (involuntarily) heard so much about, or whether he should try to smother himself with a pillow and just place a noise complaint tomorrow. He decides it's too late – literally and figuratively – for either of those options, instead conjuring up an even better plan. Peeling himself off the floor, he shuffles into the kitchen like a goddamn zombie and flicks the switch for the electric kettle sitting on his kitchen counter. As he makes his midnight (morning?) beverage, he plans out what he's going to say to this guy in his head. He can already feel himself trembling, and as he spoons powdered chocolate into his mug, he steels himself, pinching his eyes shut and taking three deep breaths before the kettle switch clicks back in place and he opens his eyes to pour the hot liquid into the mug. As he sips at his hot chocolate, he watches the wall from which the sound is emanating from, wondering whether anyone else is thinking of placing a noise complaint in the apartment block. Once his head stops feeling foggy with almost-sleep, he leaves the drink on the counter and moves towards the front door to his apartment, mentally pumping himself up with each step.

With a steady hand, Kenma opens the door, stepping out into the tiny corridor along which the apartments are nestled.

***

Kuroo's fifth rendition of the Eternal Love Song for Wasabi and Beans is cut short by three short but loud raps on the door to his apartment. He feels the blood drain from his face momentarily, before realising that this day (night?) was coming all along and he's about to get what he deserves, probably. As he pads quietly towards the front door, he goes through the possible figures waiting for him may be in his head. Angry Biker with face tattoos and a baseball bat full of nails? Old Lady with a feral cat at the ready to eat his fish? Hipster Uni Student who's going to pour hot coffee down his shirt? As he opens his door he looks up, then down, finding himself staring at a short... pudding head?

"No, actually. My name is Kozume Kenma." The pudding tells him, "I'm your neighbour."

It takes Kuroo a moment to realise he'd actually said 'pudding head' out loud and he smacks a hand against his head, groaning softly to himself as he wheezes out an apology.

"I'm sorry, I just-- it's 3am," He tries to justify himself, scrambling to make small talk, spitting out a "My name is Kuroo, by the way, Kuroo Tetsurou" in what feels like one breath. There's no response from the figure before him, and although he feels less at risk of being murdered or at least seriously injured at 3am in the morning, as Kuroo looks down at the kid staring at him with dead (gorgeous, he thinks to himself, before mentally slapping himself) eyes he begins to think maybe he's spoken too soon.

"You're right, it is 3am, so could you please refrain from singing about your fish?" Pudding He-- Kenma finally mumbles out his request, huffing out a small, indignant puff of breath. Now that he thinks about it, Kuroo figures this neighbour is pretty cute, with his large golden eyes and nervous frame; the way he's glancing over his shoulder nervously like he's worried someone else is going to wake up and yell at both of them for talking. He feels a smile creeping onto his face, cool demeanor settling on his shoulders as he shifts his weight against the frame. "Oho? Is it bothering you that much?" he croons, leering down at the blond haired boy until he visibly looks like he's trying to melt into the floor.

"I just want to sleep" Is the murmured response, almost too quiet to catch, and Kuroo blinks, studying the small boy before him. _His skin looks really soft_ he thinks, before snapping out of a very dangerous train of thought and smiling down at Kenma with the friendliest, unintimidating face he can muster.

"I'll try my best," He grins, to which his neighbour mumbles something along the lines of "Thank you," and promptly turns away without even saying goodbye, shuffling back to his own apartment; shutting the door to his apartment softly, like some sort of ghost drifitng in and out of the apartments as he pleases. Considering this is the first time in nearly three weeks since Kuroo has moved in that they've spoken to each other, he figures that that's exactly what Kenma is, just a tired little ghost. His chest contracts weirdly as he closes his apartment door and goes back to feeding his fish, tapping the slow-sinking pellets into the filtered water absent mindedly, thoughts drifting.

As he finally feels his eyelids beginning to droop at 5am, Kuroo falls into a restless sleep, images of golden-eyed cats sitting on giant pudding cups flickering behind his eyelids. 

In the apartment next to his, Kenma is leaning against his door, staring up at the roof as he wills his raging heartbeat to slow down. He can't tell if he's shaken up because he's never been good with confrontation or the guy with the terrible bedhead living next door is actually some sort of dark magician who's cursed him to forever get nervous and jelly-kneed around them. He pinches himself before walking to his bedroom, flopping unceremoniously onto his mattress and closing his eyes, not bothering to get undressed as he tries to commit every part of Kuroo Tetsurou to memory before sleep takes hold of his thoughts and he drifts into a sleep dominated by black cats and Cheshire smiles.

***

"Pudding head, pudding head, wheeeeere could you be! Pudding head, pudding head, I think you're the one for me."

Kenma jumps up so quickly he sees stars, staring incredulously at the wall separating his and Kuroo's apartments. From where he's sitting on the couch, Hinata goes stiff, eyes flicking between his now standing companion and the wall the blond boy is staring at as though willing it to dissolve so he can glare instead at the occupant producing some sort of sorry attempt at an Ariana Grande-esque trill.

"Is that... Is that _him_?" Hinata asks uncertainly, watching Kenma's slender hands curling slowly but surely into fists. The blond glances at Hinata before suddenly flopping back on to the couch and pinching the bridge of his nose, head lolling against the back of the couch.

"Why is he singing that," Kenma groans softly, and Hinata frowns for a minute before he makes the connection, a sudden burst of laughter escaping his mouth. He slaps his hand to his face, face turning red as he tries to contain his laugher.

" _Pudding Head?"_ Hinata wheezes, eyes brimming with tears as the laughter he's been trying desperately to hold in finally escapes his body in a bone rattling cackling fit.

Kenma shifts his head towards Hinata slightly, eyes opening to slits. "I told you how I went over at like 3am the other day, right?" He offers little further explanation, watching the gears turn in the orange haired boy's head until all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Hinata is weirdly quiet for a moment before he cocks his head, looking at Kenma with wide eyes.

"He's kind of got a point, you know," He contemplates, staring at his quiet friend in a way that makes the hair on Kenma's neck stand on end. "Please don't." Is Kenma's response, and Hinata watches him as he sighs and pulls himself off the couch, hanging his head for a moment before turning to Hinata.

"I'm gonna go talk to him for a minute, please wait here." He says, but before he can even finish his sentence, Hinata is by his side, eyes glimmering with determination. "I'm coming with you," he says solemnly, and Kenma knows there's no talking his friend out of something once he's made up his mind.

"Fine," he sighs, already feeling a headache pulling at the edges of his brain, "But you have to be quiet. And don't try and replicate Tanaka, please." He adds, exasperation clear in his voice.

"It’s okay," Hinata assures him, "I just want to see who this guy is to have managed to wriggle his way into your head like this."

Kenma thinks the headache may actually be a migraine.

***

Bokuto is watching Shiro doing what he'd like to think is some sort of interpretive dance in the aquarium, long flowy tail gliding and shifting behind her little body with all the grace of chiffon curtains floating in a summer breeze. He starts when he hears soft knocking on the door, standing up straight and blinking towards the front of the apartment. He looks over to Kuroo, who's making them both coffees, absent-mindedly singing about Pudding Head (for what is probably the sixth time since his neighbour knocked on his door, like, three days ago), and decides that it can't hurt to answer the door for his best bro, just this once. He's greeted with two Very Short people, one of which with hair that looks like he fell in a vat of orange paint and is practically vibrating from nervous energy, the other with terrible regrowth, looking as though he's already planning an escape route.

"Can I, uh... help you guys?" Bokuto asks, and the littlest one with the orange hair actually jumps off the ground, leaning over the one with terrible regrowth's shoulders and...Hissing? At Bokuto? Regrowth Guy clicks his tongue and smacks Buzzy McOrangeface softly, subsequently subduing his energetic friend before looking at Bokuto, features changing from thoroughly uncomfortable to thoroughly confused.

"Is...Is Kuroo here?" He asks uncertainly, before adding an almost indiscernible, "It's Ken-- pudding head."

Bokuto goes still, suddenly making sense of everything, and he lets out an excited hoot, calling Kuroo over to the door. From behind him, Kenma and Hinata can hear some sort of disturbance from within the apartment, before Kenma sees the familiar figure saunter over to the door, moving in front of Bokuto and leaning against the frame again as though his center of balance was such that he's constantly a few degrees off the rest of the world.

"Well, well," Kuroo hums, eyes sweeping over his neighbour, gradually shifting to the smaller (is that even possible?) figure behind him. "Who's your friend?" he smirks, and to his surprise the vibrant boy jumps in front of Kenma, spreading his arms as though to act as a protective shield for the boy, who now looks like he's about to crawl out of his skin.

"My name is Hinata and you need to leave Kenma alone!" The tiny boy shouts, orange hair bouncing as he speaks, and Bokuto barks out a laugh, head popping over Kuroo's shoulder with a grin.

"Says who, short stuff?" He throws back, and Hinata's brow furrows for a moment in confusion, head cocking to the side slightly. "Um." He hums, "Me? Just then, duh?" He looks over Kuroo's shoulder at Bokuto like the answer was the most obvious thing in the entire world, and Bokuto's cheeks hurt from grinning so hard.

"I like this kid!" He announces to no one in particular, neither of the two noticing the way in which Kuroo is leering over Hinata's shoulder, watching Kenma with a pensive look on his face. The expression clears after a moment, smoothing out his features. "Why don't you come in?" Kuroo drawls, and Kenma's head snaps up now, eyes wide and unblinking, like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"N-no," He stutters, obviously flustered, "I just wanted to ask you-- Hinata move--" He grunts as he pushes Hinata aside, moving forward to face Kuroo properly. "I just wanted to ask you stop singing again. Especially what you just were." The second part of his sentence is mumbled so that Kuroo nearly misses it, but he smirks either way, drawing himself to his full height and crossing his arms over his chest.

"What was I just singing?" He chirps, feigning innocence, and Kenma's eyes snap up to meet his, indignant.

"You know what it was, please just stop. C'mon, Hinata," Is the response Kuroo's gets for his teasing, and he deflates a little, calling out a rushed, "Wait! Wait," As Kenma and his friend move back towards the apartment. "Haha, seriously, you guys can come in if you want, we were just about to start a game of Mario Kart." He says, rubbing the back of his neck, suddenly self-conscious. Kenma's eyes flash for a moment before glancing down at his shoes, as though caught in the act of doing something illegal.

"We're already playing our own game,” he responds stiffly, before grabbing Hinata's hand and dragging him back to his apartment, despite protests of 'Kenma why noooot, you always win anyway!' and 'it's not fun with just two people y'know!'

As the door to Kenma's apartment shuts quietly again, Bokuto whistles from behind his friend, who's staring at the corridor with a faint smile on his face.

"You have the worst taste" Is all he chuckles, and Kuroo scratches his cheek, blinking slowly before turning back to the beverages waiting for them on the kitchen counter, now cold and bitter.

***

The coffee shop is quiet and for that Kenma is thankful, cradling his green tea close to his chest. It's close to 5pm and the little cafe is nearly empty, despite being a late night vendor. He's been here for the better half of the day, venturing out of his house in an attempt to clear his head, the apartment making him feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable all day. As he finishes his tea, he gets up to grab another, mouth twitching into the tiniest smile as he sees who's just clocked in.

"Hey Kenma," is the quiet welcome he's greeted with from Akaashi, who's still tying the back of his apron at the front counter, "It's been a while since we last saw you".

Kenma scratches the back of his neck and gives the boy a half shrug, tired smile resting on his lips.

"I haven't really needed to come in, I guess." The bluntness of his answer is so like him, andAkaashi blinks twice before huffing out a soft laugh, meeting the blond boy's eyes with a small smile.

"Same as always?" Akaashi asks, and Kenma nods, reaching into his pocket to pull out the change. Akaashi waves his hand at the gesture, moving to the industrial coffee machines on the left side of the register to make the hot beverage. "This is your second one, right? It's on me," the barista smiles. Kenma shifts nervously, accepting the offer with a small nod of his head.

"So how've you been?" Akaashi makes small talk as he gently taps loose-leaf tea into a strainer and places it in a little pot for Kenma to take back to his table. Kenma shrugs again. "Same old, I guess. I just needed to get away from the apartment for a bit," he says, blinking up at Akaashi, who's nodding as he pours boiling water into the pot.

"You've got a new neighbour, right?" The dark haired boy asks, and Kenma's eyes flash, looking at the barista uncertainly. "How'd you know?" He asks, and Akaashi glances at Kenma before laughing again, shaking his head so the soft curls of dark hair on his head tremble.

"My boyfriend, Bokuto; his best friend just moved in to your apartment block. I've heard all about it," Akaashi shrugs, looking up from the task before him and facing Kenma, eyes sweeping over the small boy's frame. "Kuroo can be kind of hard to handle, huh?" Is all he says, knowing glint in his eye. Kenma glances to the side for a moment before sighing.

"Yeah." He agrees. "He keeps singing about his fish, and he calls me--" Kenma appears to steel himself for a moment, and Akaashi has to fight the smile tugging at his mouth. "P-pudding...Head... " Is what Kenma finishes his sentence with, and Akaashi can't hold back the giggle that escapes his mouth. He shakes his head, wide smile on his face now, and continues brewing Kenma's tea.

"Yeah, he has a habit of doing that," Akaashi laughs, "Apparently he doesn't stop talking about you though, Bokuto is worried you've put a hex on him or something. He's doesn't understand that that shit doesn't actually exist in real life."

Kenma's eyes grow wide at the statement, and he fidgets nervously while Akaashi places his tea on a little tray for him to carry back to his table. "I don't-- huh," Is all he can muster, frowning to himself as Akaashi watches the internal struggle raging in Kenma's head.

"Don't worry about it," Akaashi assures his friend. "Kuroo has a habit of throwing his heart out to strays."

***

As he gets back to his apartment, Kenma is relieved to find Hinata waiting for him in the corridor.

"Your neighbour is so scary! I ran into him again coming up the stairs, right; his face is scary, but also cool, although his hair was kind of--"

"Shōyō." Kenma breathes, and his friend bounds over, taking his hands and holding them steady.

"Its okay, y'know." Is all Hinata says and Kenma lets his eyes slip shut, trying to even out his breathing.

When he opens the door to the apartment, Hinata is still watching him, but this time it's with a smile that Kenma knows to mean that the orange haired idiot is up to something. "No." Is his automatic answer, and Hinata deflates for a second before perking up again, shouting an indignant "Hey! You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"I don't need to." Is Kenma's response, but he moves away from the doorframe and lets himself fall onto the couch regardless, waiting for his overenthusiastic companion to continue with his plan.

"Okay." Hinata starts, drawing in a deep breath. Kenma waits as he collects his thoughts. "So I was thinking," Kenma narrows his eyes to slits, throwing Hinata with a warning glare. "Today, please." He deadpans. Hinata's eyes go wide before he scampers over to where Kenma is sitting.

"You should totally sing about him!" Is the excited explanation from Hinata, and Kenma stares at him for a second before his eyes widen with a look of incredulity. "Are you fucking serious? No." Is all he says before whipping out his phone and opening LoveLive. Hinata looks at him, cheeks puffed out and brow furrowed in a grumpy pout, but the blond doesn't acknowledge him, so he simply flops down next to him and flicks through the channels on the television.

"Are you at least going to visit him again? Ask him to stop singing about you being the one for him and actually take you out on a da--Hey!!" Hinata starts, crying out as a pillow slams down on his face. "'hafs wudfe!" He muffles as Kenma presses the pillow into his face, trying to smother him. "Shut up, shut up, shut up" Is all the blond chants, until a knock on his door startles him into dropping the pillow, a red faced Hinata looking up at him angrily.

"I could have died y'know!" he cries, but Kenma ignores him, watching the door steadily. "Shut up for a second, I think I heard something." He murmurs.

They sit in silence for a moment longer, before there's another rap on the door and a quiet, "Helloooo, c'mon, people don't fall asleep that quickly! Besides, I can hear you two talking, I just wanna chat for a second!"

Kenma recognises the muffled voice belonging to the dude with the grey hair from next door, and he gets up apprehensively, looking through the peephole in his door uncertainly. A wonky-eyed face looks back at him, and with a huff he opens the door, looking up at the grey haired man through a curtain of hair.

"What do you want?"

Bokuto blinks at him for a moment before his face splits into a grin, and he bends down to Kenma's height, head whipping from side to side to check their surroundings before he continues, voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Okay pudding head, Kuroo has gone to get more coffee. The convenience store is approximately a ten minute walk; it'll take him another ten minutes to pick the right goddamn coffee, and he's probably gonna buy snacks too-- Shit, I wonder what snacks... maybe rice cakes...? " The guy seems to drift off for a moment before snapping back to his original train of thought, "Anyway! The point is: we have roughly half an hour to figure out a way to get you two on a date!" Kenma stares at the man before the weight of his words sink in and he finds himself stumbling backwards, arms raised in front of his body defensively.

"What? No. I don't-- no? Who are you again?" Kenma splutters, and Hinata peeks over his shoulder, pulling his lower eyelid down and poking his tongue out at the owlish figure standing in the doorway.

Before they even have a chance to slam the door in the guys face, he announces "Oh! I'm Bokuto; remember? If you're not going to do it then leave it to me!" And bounds back to Kuroo's apartment, leaving Kenma and Hinata standing in the doorway; too shell shocked to move.

***

"He's not going to want this--" Kuroo's protests are cut off by Bokuto, who waggles his eyebrows at Kuroo (leaving the black haired man feeling like he should be offended) and throws a thumbs up before knocking on Kenma's apartment door, sprinting back to Kuroo's apartment, head sticking out of the door as he waits for the answer.

When Kenma answers the door tiredly he's greeted with a Very Fidgety Kuroo, who visibly starts when he meets Kenma's cool gaze. It's a side to the dark haired boy Kenma imagines he'd probably like to see more, underneath his neighbours smug exterior.

"Can I help you?" Kenma deadpans, and Kuroo clears his throat before humming, weight shifting from leg to leg. 

"Well." He starts, stopping short as he notices Hinata trying to observe the scene from the background, looking like he's doing some weird dance as his head bobs around. He shakes himself a little before continuing with what he was saying.

"I was just wondering if. I mean, you've heard so much about _my_ fish, what if we went and looked at... Bigger? Fish, I mean?" As he watches Kuroo choke out his offer, Kenma realises the taller boy is asking if he wants to go to the aquarium with him, blood rushing to his face and thundering in his ears. _So this is what Bokuto meant when he said leave it to him._  

Kuroo takes Kenma's silence as a no, and coughs out a laugh, turning away from the door frame and muttering something along the lines of 'this was a terrible idea I'm going to kill that owl faced asshole' when he feels small fingers wrap themselves around his wrist. He turns back in surprise, to see Kenma viciously chewing on his lip, cheeks turning a steady shade of red.

"I like fish." Is all he mutters, before Hinata jumps out with a 'gwahhhh!!' and 'Give him your number, give him your number!'

Kenma blinks once before snapping out of whatever train of thought he was caught in, digging into his pocket for a pen. In one fluid motion he pulls at Kuroo's sleeve, scrawling what the dark haired man guesses is Pudding Head's number in messy writing along his wrist before nodding once and shuffling back into his apartment.

As Kuroo walks back to his own apartment, he feels like oddly light, skin tingling from where Kenma wrote his number on his arm. Bokuto greets him with a hoot, slapping him on the back and howling something akin to 'I told you so bro! Best wingman ever or what!'

Through the paper thin walls separating the two apartments, Kenma and Hinata sit on the worn out couch, listening to Bokuto howling through the wall. Hinata looks over at Kenma, who's still five shades of scarlet, glaring into his lap.

"Chin up buttercup," The bright eyed boy chirps, "At least now you'll be able to shut him up easier, right?" He quips innocently, and Kenma's head snaps up in alarm, moving to pick up another pillow with which to smother his idiot friend with.

***

The train ride to the aquarium is quiet, and Kuroo finds himself studying the way the natural light catches his companion's eyes through the train window, making them appear to sparkle like golden orbs of light. As Kenma turns his head away from the window to face Kuroo, he makes eye contact with the dark haired boy, who glances away on instinct. 

"Why do you always do that?" Kenma asks; confusion etched across his face. "I don't mind when you look at me, y'know."

It's a quiet admission, but Kuroo feels his face heat up nonetheless, still not used to the blunt manner in which Kenma speaks, never using more words than is absolutely necessary. "I was like, pretty sure you hated me for the entirety of the last month," Kuroo remarks, "Forgive me for being worried about scaring you away." He doesn't mean to sound upset, but Kenma's face twists regardless, and there's a beat of silence before the blond leans over and karate chops Kuroo's head, hard.

"What the fuck was th--" Kuroo begins to protest, but he's cut off by the quiet lilt of Kenma's voice.

"I had no reason to dislike you. I just don't like sudden loud noises, dumbass." 

They arrive at their stop, both shuffling off the train into crisp winter weather. December is just around the corner, and the aquarium is already boasting seasonal attractions. Upon stepping into the warmth of the large domed building, they pay for their tickets and take a brochure, poring over the aquarium map.

"Where do you want to go first?" Kuroo asks Kenma, watching his companion reading about the different exhibits and attractions. "The aquarium tunnel sounds nice" is the response, and Kuroo huffs out a laugh.

"You realise that's the entrance to the _actual_ aquarium, right?"

Kenma just looks up at him with his gold eyes, tugging his scarf down to offer Kuroo a gentle smile.

"That's the point." He says simply, and Kuroo feels his heart constrict.

"C'mon, Pudding Head, let's go watch some sharks," He grins, and Kenma huffs out a "Don't call me that," following the taller boy regardless.

Kuroo lets Kenma lead them through the tunnel, eyes wide as they sweep over the hundreds of fish gliding through the water all around them. The reflections of the fish and the blue water around them reflects in Kenma's eyes, and when he twirls around to look at Kuroo, the taller boy is almost rendered breathless by the dancing flames that are flickering in his partner's eyes. "Y'know," he says, "You're pretty cute for an anti-social kid with terrible regrowth."

Kenma's expression switches from wonderment to lifelessness in a heartbeat, eyes dropping down to the floor. Instantly Kuroo regrets his joke, trying to backpedal, until Kenma looks back up at him with a mischievous glow, quietly announcing "And you're a hopeless romantic."

The shock of Kenma actually having a come-back for his jokes leaves Kuroo speechless for a second, before his stomach floods with warmth.

"You should do that more often." Is all he says, before grabbing Kenma's hand and dragging him through the remainder of the tunnel, towards the whale shark exhibit. The acrylic window displaying the massive animals runs from the floor to the ceiling, and a plaque on the wall boasts that the actual tank is 8.2 meters tall. Kenma stands nose-to-glass to the tank, eyes glowing as he watches the massive fish gliding through the water gracefully. Kuroo watches the way Kenma's tiny figure stands out against the illuminated tank; a tiny silhouette of a boy pressed against an entire ocean. The stark contrast between the enormity of the fish and the smallness of Kenma's silhouette leave Kuroo gasping for breath, sinking onto one of the soft seats scattered around the enormous room. When Kenma eventually wanders around the entire room, he makes a beeline for where Kuroo is sitting, flopping down next to him and opening up his brochure again.

"Let's go find the jellyfish," he murmurs after a moment of scouring through the brochure, and they're up again, weaving their way through the throngs of people admiring the colourful fish in the tanks lining the walls surrounding them. When they find the jellyfish, Kuroo is more than pleased to realise that the seahorse display is in the room next to them, drifting between the two as he keeps an eye out for Kenma as he watches his favourite tiny fish wrapping themselves around floating fronds of seaweed, eyes darting around their tanks. As he moves between the two rooms, he notices that the jellyfish display is double sided. He presses his face against the glass, looking past the fish floating in the water serenely until he makes eye contact with Kenma. As they watch each other through the glass, they mimick each others movements, and a small smile tugs at Kenma's lips; eyes darting away coyly when Kuroo throws him a wink through the glass.

Eventually they meet at the end of the tank, and Kenma takes Kuroo's hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

"If I was a jellyfish, I would be electrocuting you and eating you right now," Kenma murmurs, and as much as Kuroo feels like he should be disturbed by the thought, he finds it strangely endearing that Kenma would even consider eating him in the first place.

(Later, he reflects on this train of thought and decides to never disclose these feelings to Bokuto, who would no doubt never let him live this down.)

"If you were a jellyfish your pudding head colouration would be warning enough for me to stay away from you anyway," Kuroo retorts, and Kenma chews his lip thoughtfully before muttering, "You're probably right. It's a good thing we're not fish then."

They meander through every exhibit after that, playing with the starfish in the kiddie rock-pools and posing for photos in giant shark jaws by a cafe situated in the middle of the aquarium. They take their time moving through every exhibit, leaving after the sun has dropped well past the horizon, and by the time they get home Kenma is yawning, trying to rub the exhaustion from his eyes.

"Hey, hey," Kuroo hushes as Kenma sags against him walking up the stairs. "Why don't you crash at mine tonight? It's late and you're obviously very tired." Kenma blinks up at him with bleary eyes, mumbling a straightforward "We are literally neighbours," but Kuroo isn't listening, unlocking the door to his apartment and ushering Kenma in, settling him on the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" Kuroo calls as he moves into the kitchen, shrugging off his coat and throwing it over a barstool. The 'nggfhh' sound that floats from the lounge serves as an answer, and Kuroo pours them both a glass of water before sauntering back into the living room.

To his surprise, Kenma hasn't passed out yet, but is in fact tapping away at his phone, using _his own_ wifi signal from next door. 

"Aren't you tired?" Kuroo asks, but Kenma just shakes his head, focusing on getting a perfect combo in LoveLive. Kuroo watches him for a while before taking a sip of his water.

"So." He starts, trying to maintain a conversational tone. "Did you enjoy today?"

Kenma glances over at him before turning back to his game, mumbling an, "It was nice." Kuroo blinks, huffing slightly as he leans into the soft back of his couch, legs curling up under him.

"Just nice?" He mutters, feeling somewhat downtrodden, until Kenma pipes up, "Next time we should go to somewhere I choose. We did something you enjoyed today, next time it'll be something I enjoy?" Kuroo takes the fact that Kenma is talking about second dates of his own volition as a good sign, regardless of the fact that he was throwing shade in the process.

"Don't even lie, you enjoyed today more than I did!" Kuroo protests, "I even got like, a million photos of you gawking up at the whale sharks and holding the starfish like a little kid and everything! What about this one," He pulls out his phone, looking for the picture he snapped of Kenma being dwarved by a great white shark jaw, when suddenly a pillow is pushed against his face, causing him to slide down from the back of the couch to lie against it horizontally. Kenma is sitting in his lap now, legs resting on either side of Kuroo's hips, and he holds the pillow against Kuroo's face, muttering, "Shut up shut up shut up" the same way he does with Hinata.

Kuroo struggles against the pillow for a moment before going limp, waiting for his chance. As soon as he feels the pressure from the pillow ease up a bit, catching an uncertain, "Kuroo? Are you okay--" he takes his chance; pushing back against the pillow with all his might and flipping Kenma over so they've switched positions, strong forearms on either side of his head caging the startled boy in. Kenma blinks up at Kuroo with wide eyes, lips slightly parted, and as Kuroo stares down at him, licking his lips, Kenma breathes, "I'm asexual, you know." Kuroo blinks, hungry expression wavering for a minute, before he simply says "No problem."

Before Kenma can even process what's happening, Kuroo pushes himself back onto the couch so he's sitting on Kenma's legs, mischievous look in his eye. "What are you... " Kenma asks uncertainly; trying to shift his weight up onto his elbows, but before he has a chance to finish, Kuroo grabs his waist, kneading his fingers into soft skin, laughing as the most satisfying squeal he thinks he's ever heard emitted from a person escapes Kenma's mouth.

"Kuroo no-- please, stop--" Kenma wheezes, tears springing to his eyes as his body shakes with laughter, "I'm-- I'm going to pee on you!" He shouts, and Kuroo stops, looking down at his victim in alarm. Kenma takes this as an opportunity to wriggle out from under Kuroo and put all his weight onto the black haired boy's legs, running lithe fingers along the soles of Kuroo's socked feet.

It's Kuroo's turn to squeal now, trying to twist out of the dead weight Kenma's pressing onto his calves, but the guy is a lot heavier than he looks, and before long Kuroo is crying from laughter, calling for 'mercy! Mercy! Before I die, please!'

They both flop back onto the couch, and Kenma shifts down so his head is resting in Kuroo's lap, eyes drooping shut after literally five seconds. When Kuroo hears the boy softly snoring, he huffs out a laugh, looking down at the way Kenma is curled up in his lap.

"Alright," he sighs, moving as gently as he can out from under the sleeping figure and finding the biggest, warmest blankets he has. He tucks a pillow under Kenma's head and watches as the sleeping boy burrows under the blankets until only the very top of his head protrudes from under the pile of blankets. He feels his chest clench again, nearly tripping over his own feet as he takes their glasses of water over to the kitchen sink.

As he finishes up washing the dishes, he calls Bokuto.

"Kuroo," Bokuto croons as he answers the phone, "So you're finally home? Tell me everything, even if it involves butts."

Kuroo barks out a laugh and then claps a hand over his mouth, glancing at the sleeping figure on his couch. He moves through the lounge as quietly as he can, opening the door to his balcony and stepping out into the crisp air. "He's asexual, so unfortunately no butt stories for you, but we did have a very big tickle fight like fifteen minutes ago." Kuroo stares up at the stars while he's relaying the events of the day to Bokuto, who listens surprisingly easily, offering hoots and hums at the appropriate times.

As Kuroo finishes recapping how the day went, Bokuto chuckles into the receiver.

"So he called you a hopeless romantic, huh?" Bokuto muses, and Kuroo can hear him scratching his chin on the other side of the line. "Guess that means you're in pretty deep now... " Bokuto continues, "You could even say you've--"

"Don't you fucking dare." Kuroo cuts off Bokuto before he can finish his sentence. He clears his throat and leans over the balcony, watching a couple walking into the apartment building, quiet sounds of laughter wafting up to where he's standing.

"I'm really gay," is all he says, and Bokuto hums in agreement.

"That you are, my friend, that you are."

***

Kenma wakes up the next morning to the smell of bacon and eggs.

"What if I didn't eat meat?" He yawns as he moves out from under the pile of blankets he's somehow become buried in.

"Good morning," Kuroo calls over his shoulder, "Did you forget you 'literally live next door'?" 

Kenma blinks up at Kuroo, who's wearing a 'Kiss The Chef!' apron and humming as he moves around the kitchen. "Touché," he grumbles, climbing onto one of the bar stools against the breakfast bar and resting his head in his hand.

"Did you remember to feed your fish last night?" Kenma asks, casting the mini aquarium a sideways glance, eyes sweeping across the apartment and back to Kuroo, who turns to him with a smile. "That I did!" Is the cheerful response, and Kenma nods solemnly. "Can you show me who is who?" He asks after a moment, eyes glancing up at Kuroo nervously. Despite himself, Kuroo feels his face grow warm, stuttering out a "S-sure, come over here ha-ha," and leading Kenma over to the tank.

Starting with the black one, Kuroo explains; "That one is Jerry, he's a Black Moor. I got him first because his eyes are cute." Kenma hums in agreement as Kuroo continues, "The white one is Shiro, she's Bokuto's favourite because her fins are so flowy and beautiful."

"What type of fish is she?" Kenma murmurs, and Kuroo blinks for a second before answering simply, "Veiltail." Kenma thinks it's fitting, and he recites as much as Kuroo goes on, smiling fondly at the last two fish.

"These two," he announces proudly, "Are Wasabi and Beans. They're Calico Telescope fish and I raised them all on my own!" He puffs out his chest as he straightens up, and Kenma can't stop the butterflies that kick up a fuss in his tummy. Or maybe they're veiltails swishing their fins.

They move back into the kitchen and Kuroo plates up the sizzling bacon and scrambled eggs from the pan. As they sit side by side on the bench, Kuroo explains how he raised Wasabi and Beans from when they were babies, telling Kenma that he picked them up for free from a garage sale a few years ago. Kenma listens, watching the way Kuroo flings his fork around as he retells the story in such a way that the blond boy can tell has been told many times before. He feels a flower of warmth bloom in his chest, and a small smile works it's way onto his face as he listens, chewing his food contemplatively and offering small sounds of agreement where necessary.

When the story (and their breakfast) is finished, they wash up together, Kenma scrubbing at their plates and Kuroo drying and putting the breakfast tools away.

They part ways (as far as they can part) late into the afternoon, with Kenma shuffling back to his apartment and Kuroo waving after him. It feels slightly ridiculous, being within such close proximity to each other and yet saying goodbye nonetheless, but Kenma closes the door to his apartment as softly as ever, leaning against the wall and letting his eyes close, reliving the memories of the last 24 hours.

Hinata drops by not long after to interrogate Kenma, demanding all the details from the day before. As Kenma is relaying the events, a sudden shout startles him into silence. Both boys stare at each other incredulously, before turning to face the wall from which the shout came from.

"Kenma cat, with the pudding hair, you are so fiiiineeeeeee-- won't you be miiiiineeeee" 

Before Kenma can even blush, the singing stops, replaced instead with a soft knocking on Kenma's apartment door. Throwing a glance at Hinata, he pads over and opens the door, not even bothering to ask who it is. His suspicions are correct, and Kuroo stands before him with a cool grin on his face. Leaning against the doorframe to Kenma's apartment, he salutes Hinata, who stands rigid in response, before looking down at Kenma and asking as cooly as he can muster, "So? Wanna date me indefinitely?"

Kenma watches him with an even expression until concern begins to creep across his features, uncertainty lacing his voice when he tries to cover up, throwing out a, "I mean you're not obliged to but like, you asked about my fish so I figured--" His nervous onslaught is cut off from a quiet giggle, and he looks down at Kenma in surprise, finding the boy covering his mouth from laughter.

"You're actually just a giant loser," Kenma smiles, before poking Kuroo in the gut and offering a simple, "Sure, why not," turning back his apartment whilst Kuroo stares after him in wonder.

"You can come in if you want," Hinata chirps, "We're about to start a game of Mario Kart."

The offer sparks a flicker of recognition in Kuroo's memory, and his mouth curls into a smile as he takes a step into the apartment.

"Sure," he drawls, "I've got time. Let's kick Pudding Hair's ass."

***

Kenma wins every single Grand Prix, leaving both Kuroo and Hinata in the dust.

"I want to be disappointed, but I'm actually just impressed," Kuroo whistles, and Hinata huffs from where he's perched beside him.

"Yeah, he get's like that," he says.

Later that night, Bokuto arrives with Akaashi, and the five of them eat pizza and play Mario Kart until they've either gone home (in the case of Akaashi and Bokuto), or passed out (in the case of Hinata). As Kuroo and Kenma clean up empty pizza boxes scattered around the living room, they talk quietly, voicing whatever thoughts drift into their heads.

"Bokuto is really scary when he gets into dejected mode, huh," Kenma muses, and Kuroo chuckles to himself, glancing up at the boy. "Yeah," he explains, "That's why he's got Akaashi."

"I can kind of see where he's coming from," Kenma thinks to himself out loud, "It's pretty terrible when you constantly lose at games." He seems to drift off in thought, a habit that Kuroo is quickly picking up on.

"It's a good thing you've got me then," Kuroo announces, pressing his thumb against his chest triumphantly, and Kenma offers him a simple smile in response.

"Yeah. I guess it is."


End file.
